Mental Fitness in the Classroom - From Teachers to Students
Current State of Teachers:
Eighty-four percent (84%) of teachers surveyed by the EdWeek Research Center in March said that teaching is more stressful than it was before the pandemic.
In another study, those researchers found that one-quarter of teachers said they were likely to leave the profession when they finish the 2020-21 school year, a rate that—if it were to materialize—would be more than triple the normal rate of attrition.”
Does a Teachers Mindset Matter?
Teachers with positive attitude work to improve their (students) talents and enhance their skills and strengths. They inculcate in the minds of students positive self-confidence and self-esteem (Brown and Richard, 2008)
By providing a good school environment, by valuing the subjective psychological well-being of the teachers, and by providing adequate training to fulfil their ‘gatekeeper’ role, the preconditions to improve the mental health of the pupils they teach will be achieved. These suggestions are in line with a whole-school approach to mental health promotion.”
Six Week Mental Fitness for Educators – Professional Development (20hr of CEU)
What is Mental Fitness?
Definition: Your capacity to respond to life’s challenges with positive rather than negative mindset
Just like physical fitness, you may think you’re mentally fit, until you are faced with challenges.
Then you may find yourself feeling stressed, anxious, frustrated and uncertain.
Not being mentally fit and agile enough to handle these challenges may have you lashing out, giving up, or succumbing to more emotional pain.
Watch the Video!!!
The Program:
6wk Positive Intelligence APP
Watch 1-hour weekly video (on weekend or Monday)
15 minutes/day of practice on the app
Read/listen to 8 chapters of Positive Intelligence book (PDF provided)
Weekly 45min POD meetings w/ Fellow Educators and Your Mental Fitness Coach
It’s rigorous but only requires 2% of your day
IT Requirement: IOS version 12 or better, Android Version 6 or better
In Six Weeks YOU WILL:
Strengthen the three core “muscles” of mental fitness (determined through factor analysis) the Saboteur interceptor, The Sage and the Self-command. Through strengthening these three core “muscles” you will:
Increase your free will (the ability to pause and respond instead of unconscious reaction)
Manage external stress with less effort and more ease and flow
Access your own innovative creativity and inspire the same in your students
Give your students proven ways to move from anxiety to calm cleared-headed focus
Work with other teachers in a way that allows for greater understanding
Be more present and curious with students, parents and co-workers
Take challenges on with excitement and surety instead of dread and uncertainty
Increase grey matter in the sage areas of the brain (Prefrontal Cortex, Parts of the Right Brain and the empathy circuitry) and DECREASE in grey matter in the saboteur areas of the brain (limbic system, brain stem and parts of the left brain)
Mindset School
Mindset School is for high schoolers looking to work on their mindset.
High School students are experiencing more challenges then ever before. These challenges are creating a real need for students to become aware of their own mindsets and learn how to create new thought patterns and skills to protect their own mental health.
The need is great enough that Yale University is now partnering with high schools across the nation to address this need. CLICK HERE to read more about this program.
There is a place for life coaches in the educational system, and we will be seeing this integration in the future. Be on the leading edge.
Each week we dive into a different topic and use a virtual white board. The program starts with a Growth vs Fixed mindset. By taking the components of that (challenges, obstacles, criticism, success of others and effort) we talk about our own experiences, how they've thought about them and ways to reframe or affirm their thoughts and actions.
Messaging pre-work is required by the teacher to personalize the approach based on the individual students.
This program is tailored towards kids that are enrolled in an “alternative school” which is usually part of a high school program offered to secondary-aged students. The students attending these schools typically are not performing to the the best of their abilities in the standard program, yet they desire to stay in school and gain their diplomas.